It's rare for a concert program to transcend the boundaries of musicology so radically that sound itself becomes a physical, almost architectural reality. Anyone familiar with the legacy of conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner (1942–2021) knows that language was never merely a communication tool for him, but a plastic material—a sculpture of meaning. That the Ghent-based Herbert Foundation presents on Sunday, May 31st the very first live performance of his historic LP 7 from 1972 can therefore be called both a historical and artistic landmark. In the shadow of the ongoing exhibition RED AND GREEN AND BLUE MORE OR LESS this promises to be an afternoon in which language and sound seek each other out in a profound intellectual movement.
The skeleton of the scale
When Weiner released his first LP through the Yvon Lambert gallery in 1972, he deliberately sought out the transformative power of audio. 7 is constructed with strict discipline yet infinite freedom around the seven fundamental notes of our Western scale, from C to B (or do to ti). The work functions as a meticulous linguistic and musical investigation: each note is explored step by step in its different registers—high, middle, low—and in its harmonic shifts via sharps and flats.
The structure Weiner dictates here is not a rigid score, but a skeleton. Language generates the trajectory; punctuation and specific sentence structure determine the rhythm with which space is explored. It's an aesthetic that remains completely free from mannerism or cheap effect. Everything revolves around the pure essence of the relationship between voice and instrument.
A parallel dialogue in sound and diction
Nicolas Di Costanzo
The live performance in Ghent promises to be a fascinating exercise in contrasts and acoustic resonance. Weiner's conceptual texts are first presented in English by David Chan, after which Marieke Van Acker takes on the French translation. The poetry lies precisely in that succession: the inherent differences in syntax, diction, and linguistic character between English and French force subtle shifts in sound.
The flutist Sara Di Costanzo responds to these linguistic impulses. Her instrument receives the task not merely to accompany, but to enter into direct, parallel dialogue with the spoken word. Where the voice stops, the flute reaches toward transcendence; where language sets limits, sound opens up space. It promises to be a performance in which the musicians and speakers must meticulously build tension, balancing between the rigor of the concept and the absolute musical freedom of the moment.
Introspection and encounter
What gives this afternoon extra significance is its organic embedding within the walls of the Herbert Foundation. The friendship and radical dedication that collectors Annick and Anton Herbert once shared with Weiner still feels tangibly present in this Ghent warehouse. After the concert and a subsequent conversation with the performers led by director Laura Hanssens, the audience is invited to visit the exhibition. Sound, space, and silence flow seamlessly into one another. A rare moment of serenity and artistic intensity that will undoubtedly remain with the listener not as a chance event, but as a deep intellectual experience.
Practical information:
- What: Lawrence Weiner concert, 7
- When: Sunday, May 31, 2026, doors open from 1:30 PM, show starts at 2:00 PM
- Where: Herbert Foundation (Loods), Raas van Gaverestraat 106, Ghent
- More info and tickets: https://herbert-foundation.weticket.io/concert-lawrence-weiner-7
